


Half of hearts

by rinoahyuna



Series: Cops and Criminal AU [1]
Category: Arashi (Band)
Genre: Cops and criminal Au, Fluff and Smut, Friendship, M/M, Ohmiya - Freeform, Romance, Sakumoto - Freeform, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-04
Updated: 2020-10-08
Packaged: 2021-03-06 04:22:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 11,952
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25707373
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rinoahyuna/pseuds/rinoahyuna
Summary: AU. Sho knew his relationship with a self-proclaimed criminal wouldn't ever be easy. Jun, apparently, wholeheartedly agreed.
Relationships: Matsumoto Jun/Sakurai Sho, Ninomiya Kazunari/Ohno Satoshi
Series: Cops and Criminal AU [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1907179
Comments: 39
Kudos: 36





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [In Storms With You](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21957808) by [rinoahyuna](https://archiveofourown.org/users/rinoahyuna/pseuds/rinoahyuna). 



> So the first few parts of this was originally part of In storms with you, but I like this prompt. I want to write more of it, so, here it is.
> 
> Ohmiya will be written next XD Hope you enjoy.

Also posted [HERE](https://rinoahyuna.livejournal.com/20200.html)

Continuation of [THIS](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21957808/chapters/56386954)

They’re in bed when Sho brought it up again.  
  
Jun, for the most part, would rather not discuss the matter so soon, but he got why Sho would want to. Forget the fact that Sho had almost killed him earlier – which was the downside of all this shit, really, because, what if the bullet ended up where Sho had intended it to? Jun was pretty sure the aftermath wouldn’t be half as good as this, now, with Sho lying next to his other side on the bed so he wouldn’t accidentally jostle Jun’s injured shoulder.  
  
“What do you think happened?”  
  
“Exactly my question, Sho-san,” he mused, eyeing Sho warily, head propped up on his hand and staring Jun over. His other hand was thrown over Jun’s middle, fiddling with the fabric of Jun’s expensive, silk pajama top distractingly.  
  
“You think it was a setup, too, right?” Sho asked, frowning hard. He’d obviously been thinking about it, if the look on his face was of any indication. Jun knew that look – he could spot the anger behind it from miles away, and somehow, he felt a strange kind of joy seeing it now.  
  
God, did that bullet hit something vital and he just didn’t notice it? It might have, otherwise, he would be lying there pissed and feeling sorry for himself, and not like this. Like he was high on something, elated and equal-parts excited as he stared Sho over.  
  
It must be the painkillers, but still, shouldn’t that be enough to worry the crap out of him?  
  
“I hope it was, because the alternative is seriously scary,” he muttered, shifting and tugging at Sho’s arm, until Sho took the hint and helped him up, until he was comfortably leaning against the headboard. Sho did the same afterward, sitting next to him, their shoulders touching.  
  
“I know,” Sho said, “It could only mean that someone knows who you are and your involvement with me. They wouldn’t have set that trap if they didn’t,”  
  
Jun scoffed. “My involvement with you?” he teased, “I thought it should be the other way around, since I’m supposed to be the bad guy here,”  
  
“I’m not in the position to question your choice of profession, of course, although it’s not like I haven’t been trying my best to convince you to reconsider. You do realize that your job is far more dangerous than mine, right?”  
  
“I’m not going to comment on that,” Jun muttered, “And please don’t change the topic. We’ve been over that several times already, don’t bring it up again,”  
  
“I’m not,” Sho said, “I’m just trying to figure out what happened, or who might be responsible for it,”  
  
Jun scoffed again. “That would be you, obviously. You were the one who shot me, right?”  
  
Sho visibly winced. Jun would feel bad about it if he didn't already know how Sho felt about the whole thing, if he didn't already know how sorry Sho was for hurting him, even if it's unintentional. It was an accident, and that was that.  
  
“I know. That’s why I’m trying to figure out who could be responsible so it won’t happen again,” Sho said, turning to face him fully. “How about you? Do you know anyone in particular who might potentially be a suspect? Someone who had to have a motive, or someone who would benefit greatly if you – die?”  
  
Smiling was an entirely inappropriate response to that, but Jun just couldn’t help it. Sho sounded like it was causing him physical pain saying that, and somehow, that sick, and obviously twisted part of Jun found the gesture otherwise charming.  
  
“That would be everyone I have dealt with ever since I started this job, don’t you think?”  
  
“Everyone?”  
  
He nodded. “Yeah,”  
  
Sho looked suspicious. “Are you sure? But how about those who are working with you? You’re sure you can trust them?”  
  
He chuckled, nodding, knowing exactly what Sho was referring to. “With my life, Sho-san,” he said, holding Sho’s gaze. “The same way they trust me with their own. The _same_ way I have learned to trust you with mine,”  
  
The expression on Sho’s face softened visibly as he reached over to take Jun’s hand. “I’m sorry about that. I didn’t mean to question your friends’ loyalty, but just…you know I’m just trying to figure this out as I go. It’s…It’s not easy, watching the way that bullet hit you earlier, it was downright terrifying and –“  
  
Jun hummed as he tugged their joined hands, pulling him closer until their faces were close enough for Jun to kiss him. Sho knew it was done mostly to shut him up, but he didn’t mind. He kissed back, how could he not?, as he worked his other hand around the back of Jun’s head to hold him in place.  
  
When Jun pulled away, he had this soft look on his face that had Sho smiling in turn.  
  
“I know, Sho-san. You don’t have to keep reminding me, okay? I’m here. Better take advantage of that while you still can, just saying,”  
  
Sho had to smile at that. “Oh, I fully intend to, Jun. Trust me,”  
  
Jun grinned. “Well, what are you waiting for then?” Jun asked, gesturing with his other, hand, rolling his uninjured shoulder for show. Sho didn’t need more prompting after that as he surged forward to kiss Jun fully on the mouth, careful as he toppled him back on the bed.  
  
\--  
  
“Ohno-san will need me to file a report about this in the next coming days,” Sho murmured a long moment later, when Jun thought he’d fallen asleep already. “Pretty sure he’ll demand a clear explanation as to why my mobster buddy is involve in a supposedly sexual trafficking bust,”  
  
“Mobster buddy?” Jun croaked, feeling amused and equal-parts horrified. “Okay, I suppose you were expecting me to react to the fact that your Captain is aware we know each other, but, mobster buddy? Seriously?”  
  
“His words, not mine,”  
  
“Whatever,” Jun smirked, “You forgot to mention that. Why?”  
  
Sho shrugged. “It’s not like I’m trying to keep your existence a secret, and even if I want to, I can’t. I’m guessing he knows the real deal, he’s probably just trying to be polite about it,” Sho said, “I told him we’ve been living together for three years. He sort of just stared blankly at me and said, ‘That’s great, Sho-kun. Now I know why those packed lunches you bring to work tastes wonderful. He made them, huh?’. He’s so weird, I swear,”  
  
Jun couldn’t help it, he giggled, muffling his laughter into Sho’s warm neck. “One of these days, you should invite him over for dinner. I can’t promise anything fancy, but I’m sure anything that looks edible will be fine. It’s no trouble cooking for human trash cans like you two, seriously,”  
  
“You sure?”  
  
“Yeah, but not anytime soon,” he grunted, “I need this bullet wound healed before I voluntarily slave myself to you and your Captain,”  
  
“Which you won’t if you don’t feel like it, of course. But, hmm, does that mean you’re allowing me the courtesy to cook for you for the time being?” Sho asked, hopeful. Jun socked him not-so-lightly on the shoulder, soothing the same spot with a kiss afterward.  
  
“If you’re planning on burning the apartment down like you did the last time, then be my guest, Sho-san. Otherwise, we could both try that intermittent fasting diet I’ve been checking out for the longest time. It might help you lose those extra fats around your hips, just saying.”  
  
“Fats? What fats?” Sho screeched, hand quickly reaching down to pat his own hips. Jun tamped down the urge to smile, but it was hard. “What are you talking about, I don't have that. I'm fit. I may not have the abs I used to have ten years ago, but –“  
  
“But they’re gone and you can’t do anything about that anymore, huh?”  
  
“Is that a dare?” Sho quipped.  
  
“Maybe,” he giggled, poking Sho on the chest before leaning down to nuzzle the same spot.  
  
He loved these kinds of moments with Sho, really, but at the same time, he got why Sho thought it wasn’t easy. The two of them getting together hadn’t been a complete cake-walk, but those hardships only made this all the more worth it. Jun knew that the worst had yet to come. Hell, they’re literally standing on both ends of the spectrum at this point – a criminal and a cop in a relationship seriously sounded like a joke, but they were that, who was kidding? – but he’d prepared himself for it, didn’t he?  
  
Sho sighed and gathered him in. “You’re surprisingly in a good mood now, given how pissed you are at me earlier,” Sho said, lips pressed to his temple. “It’s the pills, isn’t it?”  
  
“Could be because of the sex, Sho-san, what do you think?”  
  
“Hmm,”  
  
“Or, it could be because I’m just a generally nice person?”  
  
Sho guffawed, squeezing him lightly. “Nah, it’s the sex. It must be the sex, of course. There couldn’t be any other reason beside that,”  
  
He rolled his eyes. “You do know I can kill you twenty-seven ways without using my hands, right?”  
  
“Is that a threat? It’s a threat, right? You’re threatening a cop, you do know I could arrest you for that,” Sho countered, sounding and looking amused. Jun huffed and shook his head, grateful and equal-parts glad that despite every single thing pointing to them being better apart, Sho still decided to stay with him. To love him.  
  
He wondered if he would ever get the chance to tell Sho he wasn’t the only one.  
  
But he could show him.  
  
He intend to.


	2. Chapter 2

Their second round happened not against a wall or on the floor but thankfully on his bed where it was comfortable. He’d taken Nino on his back, slow and reverent, alternating between kissing the air off Nino’s mouth and sucking marks across Nino’s neck and chest, then on his hands and knees, just because Ohno could.

When it was over, they were both panting for breath, sated and sore in all the places that count. Nino couldn’t stop touching him, couldn’t stop running his fingers across Ohno’s body as if he was trying to reacquaint himself with this closeness he’d missed.

It was heartwarming as it was amusing and Ohno wondered if he should tell Nino he wasn’t the only one.

He didn’t, not because he didn’t want to but because he was afraid Nino might take it the wrong way. They haven’t talked about _them_ – their supposed relationship, to be exact – in the way Ohno knew they should have since the first time Nino stayed over that one night, long ago, and he’d woken up the next morning with Nino still wrapped around him as if he hadn’t meant to let go.

“What are you thinking?” Nino asked after a moment, when their breathings evened out and he didn’t realize he’d once again retreated in his head while he was carding his fingers through Nino’s damp hair.

“Nothing in particular,” he said, hoping Nino wouldn’t notice him lying through his teeth. Nino’s brow arched in question – he obviously didn’t believe Ohno, not even in the slightest, but said nothing. Ohno settled on his side, coaxing Nino to do the same before worming his arm around Nino’s shoulders to pull him closer. Once he was satisfied with the position, he reached over with his other hand, touching Nino’s cheek, down his jaw, then briefly smoothed a fingertip across the underside of Nino’s left eye, his touch lingering for a moment, before his hand drifted down to the curve of Nino’s neck and settled finally on Nino’s right shoulder, thumb grazing the scar he found there.

“Where’d you get this?” he asked, almost regretted it when the touch and the question itself had made Nino stiff. He was certain the action would have gone unnoticed if they weren’t lying so close to each other like this, although he wasn’t too sure about that either.

He’d been inexplicably attuned to Nino lately that he could sense Nino’s presence from miles away – though it was seriously confusing, that he’d been so certain Nino was at the scene they’ve raid earlier, because, how could that be possible when he was certain Nino was out of the country for work?

Nino said so himself when he came to visit him two weeks ago, right?

“Don’t remember,” Nino said, batting his hand away. Ohno let him only because he knew better than to put his hands where they were obviously not allowed. At least for now. “And anyway, please don’t tell me my scars turn you on now, because seriously, _eww_.”

He didn’t answer right away because he was too busy studying Nino’s face to be able to come up with a quick riposte. Was it fear he was seeing, or something else? Uncertainty? Ohno couldn’t exactly pinpoint what it was but he knew the scar meant more than just a simple mark left on Nino’s skin.

Somehow, he understood Nino’s not ready to let Ohno go there. Yet.

He sighed. He’d have to try harder to earn Nino’s trust, and he had all the intention to.

But for now… “You don’t want to talk about it, fine, I get it,” he said, tugging Nino to him. Thankfully, Nino didn’t budge, or worse, push him away. Nino just let it happen, and Ohno couldn’t be more grateful for being able to hold Nino close like this, despite knowing Nino might have chosen the other option and ran.

“But you might want to, someday,” he murmured, fingers on Nino’s cheek. “Please?”

Nino’s eyes were shaded and there was this odd look on his face that almost made Ohno regret mentioning this, but then Nino was chuckling, shaking his head and shifting forward to nuzzle Ohno’s chest. Nino’s other hand even drifted downward, in between his legs to squeeze his dick.

“I’ll think about it,” Nino hummed, his lips mapping the path from Ohno’s nipple to his collarbone, up to his throat. “Now, shut up and cooperate. I want another orgasm before lunch.”

“Shit, Nino –“

\----

He’d volunteered to cook lunch, only because he felt bad for Nino knowing that the marathon sex had obviously left him sore despite trying his hardest not to show it. He told Nino he could take a nap while he cooked, that he’d call him when he’s done.

He was halfway inside the bedroom to call Nino when he realized Nino was talking to someone on the phone. Nino’s back was to him and he was facing the window, and he looked absorbed in the conversation that he didn’t notice Ohno there.

“That’s not the point, J,” Nino was saying, the stiffness of his posture told Ohno this was serious. “We were almost caught, and you took a bullet to the shoulder because we weren’t careful. Are you sure your dude isn’t trying to get you killed? Are you sure we can trust him?”

He frowned. Bullet? Killed? What the hell was going on?

“I know what you mean, but that doesn’t mean anything when the three of us are dead because –“ Nino grunted, then stop midway when he realized he was no longer alone in the room.

“Oh-chan –“

“Nino, who are you, really?”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also posted in LJ

Sho came out of the bedroom to the sight of Jun pacing around the living room, still in his robe and his phone plastered firmly to his right ear. He also looked pissed, probably more so than he usually would most mornings, especially before he’s had his (disgusting) smoothie.  
  
Sho was certain it had something to do with what happened yesterday.  
  
“You need to send someone there immediately, Masaki,” Jun was muttering; Sho sighed and left him to it, passing by him as he walked the short distance towards the direction of the kitchen. Their gazes catch on his way there and he stopped in front of Jun to squeeze his hip, and then leaned over to press his lips against Jun’s temple in greeting.  
  
Jun acknowledged him with a grunt. Sho chuckled and stepped aside, watched as Jun took another unnecessary detour from this side of the living to the opposite end, while he turned to the kitchen to make himself some coffee. He’d normally eat his breakfast on his way to the station – that consisted usually of yoghurt and two rice balls from the convenience store down the street – but with today turning out to be their unexpected day-off, he was hoping he could have his breakfast with Jun.  
  
“What? Robbed?!” Jun yelled from outside, and Sho was so startled he’d almost spilled the coffee beans on the counter. He dropped the bag there and rushed outside, where Jun was swearing under his breath and wincing as he stooped to retrieve his phone.  
  
Sho stood there, contemplating guiding Jun to the couch knowing how visibly furious Jun was at the moment. He decided to just stand there and wait, as Jun slapped his phone against his ear once again.  
  
“Yes, yes, I’m here. No, I’m not okay, Masaki. What in hell just happened?” Jun hissed, then paused, obviously letting Aiba explain. “Fuck, and you’re just telling me this now? Why didn’t you call me last night to –“ Jun said, then stopped, and Sho could see the way Jun shut his eyes, jaw clenching in irritation.  
  
Something terrible must have happened to warrant the way Jun was reacting this way, he thought as he take a few tentative steps forward, close but not close enough, just to let Jun know he was there.  
  
“Did you call Nino?” Jun asked, probably when he was calm enough to do so. “Yes, I was just talking to him earlier, before you called. But he hung up on me, so we weren’t able to finish what we were discussing,” Jun frowned, then shook his head.  
  
“Yes, about what happened yesterday, what else would we be talking about? Obviously, he wants me to –“ another pause, then, “No, I haven’t said yes. I mean, it’s not like I’m considering it, because I’m not, okay? I’m not. We already talked about this, and he agreed. He’s not supposed to break his promise just because -” Jun’s words trailed once again, and Sho wondered if he would ever get to hear the other side of this conversation for him to be able to understand exactly what was going on.  
  
“I know what you’re trying to say, Masaki, but no, I can’t give you an answer. I have no idea what is happening either. So unless one of us goes there to check, we won’t ever know. I can do that, sure, but you already used this stupid injury as an excuse, so that leaves you and Nino to deal with this shit for now,” Jun added.  
  
Another pause, then, “Shit, Maru too? Masaki, this is not just a simple misunderstanding anymore. Surely, you can see that too. They’re fucking with us, it’s so obvious. God, no wonder Nino is –“ Jun bit his lips and breathed hard. “Fine, talk to him. I’m not sure where he is either, but let’s hope he knows he shouldn’t do anything stupid. Let me know if you’ve talked to him. Fill me in with what you guys are planning so I’ll know, yeah? In the meantime, I’ll see what I can do here. I’ll coordinate with the Jumps to see if they know anything.” He hung up.  
  
Then Sho watched Jun twist around and gave him a look. “Sho-san, I need help with my breakfast.” he said. Sho chuckled and ignored that for now in favor of going straight to hug Jun, pressing a kiss to the side of Jun’s mouth.  
  
\---  
  
He knew it was stupid, but he did it anyway. He had always been careful, especially when it involved letting people in, closer, because doing so had never worked in his favor, and he guessed this time was no different.  
  
Meeting Ohno was something he hadn’t expected, sure, but he’d come to really, really like in the end anyway. The uncomplicatedness of it was what drawn him to Ohno, and the fact that with Ohno, he felt – safe. He hadn’t felt that way for so long, not even in the company of people he trusted, people who weren’t Ohno and he wanted it, treasured it, despite knowing it wouldn’t last.  
  
It was a gift he didn’t know he wanted, something he was deserving of, but he took it, kept it with him anyway.  
  
He guessed he’d been hoping for the impossible, after all.  
  
He could hear Ohno’s footsteps from behind him, the worry in his voice as he called after him, but Nino ignored that too. He had put on his pants when Ohno materialized behind him, hand grabbing his elbow before he’d even managed to put on his shirt.  
  
He was being twist around before he could voice out his protests. “Nino, wait. Wait, please,” Ohno said; he sounded breathless, and apologetic, and for some reason, scared. Nino frowned at him despite that frustrating knot tightening around in his chest.  
  
“What?”  
  
Ohno seemed taken aback, his hold around Nino’s elbow loosening but he held on, still, if only to keep Nino from fleeing. “Where are you going?”  
  
“Leaving,” he answered, flat out avoiding Ohno’s gaze. He tugged on his hand but he already expected Ohno wouldn’t let him have it back so easily. The knot in his chest tightened even more so. “Let go of me, Captain.”  
  
God, he should have known this was going to happen. He knew it, but stupid as it was, he’d let it go on for so long instead of disappearing the moment he realized who Ohno was, his occupation, mostly. He’d known it, of course, of course, and he did tell himself he was only going to fool around with him just to keep himself entertained, but somehow, the way it had ballooned into this was unexpected, too.  
  
And now, months after their first encounter, Ohno actually found enough brain cells to be curious, asking Nino about things he wouldn’t ever be able to tell Ohno. So, there was nothing left for him to do but leave.  
  
For his sake and Ohno, too.  
  
“Is it because of what I said?” Ohno asked. Nino wanted to tell him yes, but he knew that it would be pointless. Ohno would ask him to explain, and he couldn’t. He wouldn’t be able to give Ohno the answer he wanted to hear, and that was that.  
  
“Come on, talk to me,” Ohno said. This time, Nino realized his mistake when he found himself looking at Ohno’s face, and saw the confusion in his eyes, the unhappy curl of his lips. “Nino, please, you can’t just…please don’t leave,”  
  
Nino knew he ought to be ashamed, Ohno was flat out begging now, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. He remembered the faces of those he’d lost, the people he loved that he couldn’t see anymore, and knew that this time, he had no other choice.  
  
He tugged his hand roughly away the action startled Ohno too, turned around and put his shirt back on without another word. He pocketed his phone and pivoted, grabbed Ohno around the back of his head and pulled him in for a kiss.  
  
“I have to go,” he murmured, and stepped back, swallowed the urge to go back and kissed Ohno again. He couldn’t, because if he did, he knew he wouldn’t be able to leave.  
  
And he had to.  
  
“And no, please don’t try to find me. You’ll regret it, Captain.” He said, and was out of the door quicker than he’d came in.


	4. Chapter 4

  
“Robbed?”  
  
Jun nodded and took a sip of his smoothie, tasting nothing. The news had left him shaken, confused and equal-parts furious. There was no mistaking this was intentional – he would cut his own hand if anyone told him otherwise.  
  
He was itching to leave the apartment and visit the office himself, but he doubted Aiba, or Sho for that matter, would even allow him two steps to the door before he was being tugged back inside in the same breath. He had yet to talk to Nino, at least not after the bastard had hung up on him earlier, but he hoped he didn’t have to anymore.  
  
Trusting those two’s capabilities wasn’t exactly the issue, but it was the way they do things that worried Jun. Aiba had the tendency to be clumsy most of the time, but he could still get the job done. Nino, however, was an entirely different thing altogether. He’s meticulous. Careful and guarded. His tendency to be so calculative about everything could be a blessing. But it could also turn out to be a curse at times.  
  
Jun hoped that wasn’t going to be the case this time around.  
  
He gave Sho a look and nodded, and was briefly distracted with the look Sho gave him in return. They’ve been together for so long that Jun knew it on sight, knew how worried Sho was without him saying it.  
  
“Apparently, the place had been ransacked when our people got there. The money from the safe is missing, even the ledgers,” he said, wincing quietly at the throbbing pain in his shoulder. Sho clearly noticed it and was quickly reaching over to touch the back of his hand to check if he was okay, if he needed to take some painkillers, instead of asking Jun to explain the mess that was currently giving him a headache.  
  
Obviously, Sho knew he better than to do that. Jun’s business was his own, and they’ve agreed to leave that matter outside of their personal lives early on in the relationship knowing that it was better that way. Being at the opposite sides of the spectrum, so to speak, was complicated enough; letting Sho in on every aspect of his so-called dirty lifestyle would only make matters worse, or at least that was what he kept telling himself.  
  
He wondered if he was wrong, somehow.  
  
“I can get it for you if you need it,” Sho followed. He shook his head, touched by Sho’s blatant display of affection. It was heartwarming, but amusing, too.  
  
“No, I’m okay. Sho-san, please stop distracting me with your sweetness,” he said, mouth twitching with mischief and embarrassment. “I’m actually trying to think here, if you haven’t noticed it yet.”  
  
Sho shrugged, looking sheepish and unapologetic. “I thought I already said I’ll take care of you,” Sho said.  
  
“Ah, since you’re the one who caused me this injury in the first place, I get it,” he countered, smirking. Sho grimaced in answer. “Fine, Detective. But I’m telling you, it’s not gonna be easy, alright?”  
  
Sho chuckled and reached across the table to smooth a finger over his cheek.  
  
“Bring it on, Boss.”  
  
  
\--  
  
“It’s not Kattun,” Nino confirmed, bypassing the niceties and going straight to business. Jun noticed right away that Nino’s voice sounded strain; the static noises from Nino’s end did nothing to hide Nino’s distress.  
  
Jun straightened, and was only vaguely glad Sho was nowhere near. He’d rather not let Sho see how this was confusing the shit out of him.  
  
“It’s not the Kings either,” Nino added quickly, “And before you ask, yes, I paid Ren-kun a visit. As expected, he wasn’t so cooperative at first, but at least he still gave me what I need in the end,”  
  
The nerve at the back of Jun’s neck twitched, signaling the start of a migraine. This was the kind of shit he’d honestly dreaded to hear, especially after the agreement they had with the Six. The alliance meant protecting the members, especially after the ‘blood contract’ was drawn. Jun honestly believed in all of it, until now.  
  
Obviously, Nino wouldn’t do what he did if he knew he would be going to compromise himself and the whole family for going after the people they’ve suspected, just for the heck of it. Nino knew better than that.  
  
He breathed deeply, avoiding imagining what Nino did, but it was hard. “Is he alive?” he asked, wondering why he was expecting the opposite.  
  
“You are supposed to be asking serious questions now, J,” was Nino’s simple answer, “Come on, I don’t have all day,”  
  
Jun shut his eyes and sighed. He should have expected this, really, but it was still difficult to come to terms with it, especially after the relative peace he’d enjoyed the past few months. Clearly, he’d expected too much.  
  
“Fine, Nino. Okay. So, tell me who did it. Tell me you found out who’s messing around and fucking us up,”  
  
Nino’s answering chuckles was familiarly eerie as it was terrifying. “Eitos,” Nino answered, and Jun was certain his head just doubled in size. But Nino was not done yet. He was muttering another name that had Jun sputtering in shock and disbelief.  
  
“Under Sakamoto-san’s orders.”  
  
\--  
  
Ohno let himself in the apartment after staying out all day to fish. Normally, he enjoyed it – the feel of being surrounded by the ocean, the salty-scent of the wind blowing all around him as he sat on a bay or a boat waiting for his catch – but he was just so out of it today to even care.  
  
His mind had been too preoccupied with Nino that it was difficult to enjoy something he normally would, and somehow, it was a testament to how deeply he’d gotten himself involved with Nino that he couldn’t function properly knowing he might have pushed Nino away for good.  
  
He sighed and dropped everything he was carrying right there at the entrance, thinking he would get to them later and walked the rest of the way inside.  
  
Then he stopped at the sight that greeted him there. He was certain his heart did, too.  
  
Nino was lying face first on his carpeted living room floor, unmoving, his clothes soaked in blood.


	5. Chapter 5

He honestly couldn’t remember how he had managed to cross the short distance between him and Nino sprawled on the floor, but somehow, he just did. It took him a moment to get his bearings, just long enough for his instincts to kick in as his legs folded on their own right there, heart pounding hard in his chest.  
  
He had his phone already in hand, ready to dial the emergency hotline when one of Nino’s hands shot out to grab his wrist. His phone tumbled out of his grasp in shock, his heart felt like it had jumped in his throat and stayed there.  
  
“Yo,” Nino coughed, popping an eye open to squint at him briefly. “Don’t call anyone. I’m not dead,”  
  
“Jesus, fuck!” he swore, completely forgetting his phone in favor of turning Nino over. He looked battered all over, and the blood soaking his clothes looked even more vicious up close. “The hell happened to you? Are you hurt? Jesus, you’re bleeding –“  
  
“I’m not,” Nino croaked, pushing him away but it was done half-heartedly, given the way he seemed as though he was two seconds away from passing out for good.  
  
“What?”  
  
“This blood,” Nino pointed out, “It’s not mine,” Nino repeated, albeit softly, catching his gaze. He wondered if Nino was doing it on purpose, to assure him it wasn’t as bad as it looked, but it was difficult to share Nino’s sentiment when the sight of Nino right now terrified him that he honestly didn’t know whether to hold Nino close or cry.  
  
He couldn’t do either, so he settled on putting his hands on the front of Nino’s dress shirt, fingers poised to undo the buttons.  
  
“Let me check,” he whispered, shakily, eyes locked on Nino’s face. “Please let me see, Nino,”  
  
“I swear I’m fine,” Nino cut in, “It’s just a little blood,”  
  
He chuckled at that, couldn’t not. “Oh, it’s a lot of blood,” he countered, “I swear you look like you just came back from a blood bath. What the hell happened to you?”  
  
Nino chuckled in turn and caught one of his wrists, tugged him down for a kiss. He went willingly just because he needed it too, to feel Nino’s breathing against him, warm and alive as he kissed Nino back.  
  
When Nino let him go, there was something in his eyes that made him pause. It looked familiar, somehow, but he just couldn’t pinpoint exactly what it was.  
  
“Can you hold off the questions for now, and just ask me again when I’m ready to give you answers? Now’s not exactly a good time, Captain, if you know what I’m saying,”  
  
A part of him knew Nino was dodging, again, but he couldn’t fault him for it now, not really. There were honestly more pressing stuff he should be worrying about, but he guessed those, too, could wait. He nodded despite the uncertainty lodging itself around the general vicinity of his heart, but they eased a little when Nino smiled at him in return.  
  
Nino tugged at his hand again, asking to be kissed, but this time, Ohno had to retaliate despite the need raking him from his head to his toe. He shook his head, once, giving Nino only a second to be confused before he was manfully working his arms around Nino, hearing Nino’s adorable little harrumphs as he picked Nino up from the floor.  
  
“W-What –“  
  
“I know what you’re trying to do, and I swear I would have indulged you, maybe even take advantage of you if I didn’t know you’re in pain,” he started, kissing Nino’s temple as he carried Nino across the living room proper towards the bedroom.  
  
Nino folded himself around him in answer, hiding his face in the crook of his neck and murmuring, “I’m not in pain,”  
  
He hummed. “Let me be the judge of that,” he murmured, pulling Nino closer and just basking on his warmth he didn’t think he’d be able to feel again after Nino’s tensed exit the day before. He had so many questions he needed answers to, but for now, he would let Nino get away with not answering them to honor his requests, but it wouldn’t be for long.  
  
He had to know what was going on, even if he had to play dirty just to get it.  
  
And he would, soon.  
  
\---  
Nino knew he shouldn’t be here. His pride had been balking at the idea of coming back here after his inappropriate action the day before, leaving Ohno with a threat (and a stupid one at that), but even despite that, here he was, arms folded around Ohno’s neck for dear life and digging his nose against the smooth skin under Ohno’s ear and breathing Ohno’s familiar scent in.  
  
He felt vulnerable like this, when Ohno held him like this, like he was something so precious and easy breakable. It should be amusing – it was amusing, in fact – because he wouldn’t normally consider himself as one. He was a deadly killer, for god’s sake, a living, breathing killing machine, their group’s resident assassin, but with Ohno, he was neither.  
  
When he was with Ohno, he could be just him. Just Nino. Just the guy who’d decided to fool around with a cop and ended up falling for him for real.  
  
God, it was all seriously fucked up but there was nothing he could do about it now, couldn’t he?  
  
“I’m going to put you down, okay?” Ohno said after a long moment of silence, Nino realizing they’d reached the bathroom without him noticing it. “You sure you can stand up?”  
  
He smirked, or at least tried to, but he was certain he wasn’t nailing the look like he’d used to. He sighed and wriggled lightly around Ohno’s hold, would have jumped out of his arms just to show Ohno he wasn’t as useless as Ohno was trying to make him out to be, but held himself.  
  
“I’m pretty sure I can even fuck you up against the door if you want me to,” he countered, but Ohno simply chuckled at him in answer before Ohno put him down as gently and carefully as he could manage it.  
  
“I bet you can, but let’s not go there until I’m certain you’re exactly what you’re claiming to be,” Ohno mused, backing him lightly against the closest wall before starting undoing the top buttons of his dress shirt and watching him carefully.  
  
Nino raised his brow at him. “Unharmed,” Ohno reiterated. “You said so yourself, right?”  
  
He shrugged. “Depends on how you define the word,” he answered as he raised his hands to help Ohno along. Ohno shook his head and stopped him with a hand, before Ohno resumed undoing the buttons himself. Two buttons gave way to three, and soon, Ohno was helping him out of his once crisp and clean white shirt, now soiled with dirt and blood.  
  
He winced when the fabric grazed the skin above his left shoulder, Ohno immediately inspecting the spot with care.  
  
“Evidence number one,” Ohno announced, his voice tinged with emotion Nino couldn’t put his finger on. He looked away just as Ohno discarded Nino’s shirt to check the wound closely.  
  
“Looks like an accidental stab wound. About half centimeter deep. The bleeding stopped, but the skin around the wound is already swollen,” Ohno stated with a frown. Nino tried not to react, but it was difficult to stay unaffected when he was certain this just added itself in the list of things he had to explain to Ohno in the very near future.  
  
“Good going, doctor,” he teased, watching Ohno’s face. “So, how is it? Do you think it would have to be amputated soon? Well, hopefully not,” he added, just as Ohno lifted his gaze and caught his.  
  
“You think this is funny?”  
  
He shrugged and chuckled. “Nope, but _you_ suddenly acting like an unreliable physician is a little bit funny, to be honest,” he said, hoping he didn’t sound as nervous as he felt. To be fair, he normally wouldn’t be, but he guessed it was just different when he was alone, or when he was with the company of his friends; being with Ohno, however, was an entirely different matter altogether.  
  
Ohno looked at him, like he was studying him, the expression on his face, the words that were coming out of his mouth. It was disconcerting as much as it was worrying.  
  
“Nino, you do know I’m a cop, right?” Ohno said suddenly, like he had to make sure Nino knew. Nino nodded, albeit warily.  
  
“What does you being a cop had to do with this?” he asked after a moment of charged silence.  
  
“Hopefully nothing,” Ohno said, and left it at that even though Nino was certain Ohno had something else to say. He didn’t, but just as he leaned over and pressed a quick kiss to the side of Nino’s mouth, he squeezed Nino’s hips and murmured, “But we both know it’s actually the opposite. Still, I’m going to keep my end of the bargain and keep my mouth shut, just because you said we’ll talk about this eventually. Soon. Right?”  
  
Nino kept silent for a moment before he nodded. “Fine,”  
  
Ohno offered him a smile for that. “Great,” he said, “Now, let’s take this off you and let’s see if there are other injuries I haven’t noticed yet. Afterward, we’ll hit the shower together and I’ll help you wash all these dirt off you. Deal?”  
  
He chuckled. “Sure thing, Captain,”  
  
An answering chuckle, and the feel of Ohno’s mouth landing against his jaw, the scrape of Ohno’s five o’clock shadow and the telltale feel of Ohno’s hard-on brushing against his thigh when he moved.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This for the two women bullying me. I hope you can sleep properly tonight.
> 
> (Because I will be. Heh)

Jun didn’t expect Aiba to show up in the apartment, especially unannounced, the way he did now. The few times he did, however, he had Nino in tow, and it had been because they’ve been invited over, for dinner or just to hang out (which happened only once, a week after he and Sho moved in together) and that was it.\

This time, however, Jun was certain Aiba was here for something else.

Something told Jun that the peaceful night he’d been looking forward to had just thrown itself out of the building the moment he let Aiba in. Sho, polite as ever, had excused himself right after he’d offered Aiba a drink, which his friend accepted gratefully.

Once he was certain Sho was out of earshot, he nodded at Aiba, who looked positively exhausted.

“Talk to me, Masaki,” he said, ignoring the dull pain on his shoulder in favor of giving Aiba his undivided attention.

Aiba gestured with his hand towards the can of cold beer Sho had offered earlier. Jun nodded, watching Aiba as he uncapped the can and took a quick drink of the beer. He put it down with minimal grace and looked directly at Jun.

“The Osaka office is closed,” Aiba started with a scowl, “I was able to track one of the five people you stationed there. It seemed like they haven’t been working for us for weeks. The money, and everything in the office are missing,”

Jun swore colorfully under his breath. “But we were still receiving email reports from them until last week, how the hell did this happen?”

Aiba nodded. “That’s your guy Kuchi’s doing. Apparently, he’d been tasked with the job of forging the reports to avoid suspicion. I had to work hard to make him talk – and you know I hate getting my hands dirty, that’s Nino’s job, not mine – but the fucker didn’t give me a choice,” Aiba said. Jun could tell Aiba must have held out as long as he could to make whoever he found there talk, but he guessed loyalty was overrated at this point.

He looked down, his expression hard. “Nino told me who he thinks is behind all these,”

Aiba chuckled, mirthlessly. “At this point, I’d wager it’s not a speculation anymore,” Aiba said, shaking his head.

“You talked to Nino already,” he said, and it wasn’t a question.

“I was talking to him while he was gutting Ren,” Aiba said around a grimace, “I heard the guy yelled Sakamoto-san’s name. Fuck if I will ever get the sound of it out of my head now, but I guess it can’t be helped. We gotta do what we gotta do, right?”

He nodded. “We need to talk this out and plan things through,” he gritted, “I’m suggesting we talk to the Six about this issue, but we will need all the evidence we could get to push this through. Otherwise, I don’t think they’ll hear us out,”

“Jun, they’re robbing us in broad daylight,” Aiba hissed, and the expression on his face told Jun his friend was done being kind. “stealing our money and our people, fucking up our business while also simultaneously trying to assassinate us obviously to take us out of the picture. The alliance meant nothing at this point, Jun. And I think Nino is right. It’s either we fight back or we let them do whatever the hell they want with us,”

He raised his head and shot Aiba a look. “Fight back? Are you out of your mind? We don’t even know how many of our people are still with us. Hell, at this point, I think it’s safe to expect that it’s just the three of us against the rest of them. It would be completely insane to decide on the one thing we obviously can’t do,”

Aiba looked all kinds of uncertain for a moment, until the door to their bedroom opened and Sho stepped out, flexing his air muscles and the gun in his hand.

For a moment there, no one spoke, and the awkward silence lingered even when Sho cocked the gun in his hand and nodded sagely towards him and Aiba.

Aiba was the first to recover. “No, Matsumoto-san,” Aiba grinned, “I think you’re mistaken. It’s not just the three of us,” he said, nodding at Sho.

“Not anymore.”

\---

The shower had been relaxing and equally…satisfying. Nino had forgotten how many times he’d moaned Ohno’s name, as Ohno paid careful attention to him and his throbbing dick. At least once Ohno had made sure there were no other glaring injuries he should worry about that might put Nino’s health at risk, he’d gone ahead and took Nino straight to the seventh heaven.

The orgasm left him immovable, kind of sluggish, but he guessed that was intentional on his part. He wouldn’t normally let his guard down when he was with other people before, and a recent orgasm would normally leave anyone vulnerable, but not him.

“You can soak in there for a few minutes, okay? But make sure you stay awake,” Ohno said in passing, as Nino watched him leave for a moment to take something from the bedroom. Possibly a change of clothes for them both, Nino suspected. When Ohno came back with a pair of shirts and boxers, he sighed and offered Ohno a smile, watched as Ohno perched himself on the edge of the tub to watch him in return.

“Is there a particular reason you’re looking at me like that?” he asked, as he struggled to keep himself awake. It was kind of difficult, but he wanted to, only so he could look Ohno over, too.

Ohno shook his head. “Just wondering,”

“About what?”

Ohno stood, then walked around the tub and stopped until he was standing close to Nino’s head. He kneeled there, leaning over the tub just as Nino did the same. Nino’s eyes darted on Ohno’s hand reaching out to touch the bruises marring the knuckles of his left hand, softly, carefully.

“About things,” Ohno murmured, “Mostly about you,”

“Captain, you agreed, okay?”

Ohno chuckled. “I know, I know, but just…just one question, and I’ll stop. I swear this one’s easy to answer,”

He gave Ohno a look as he bit his lips. “I can choose not to, right?”

“If you don’t feel like it, then sure,”

He still didn’t feel particularly at ease, giving in to Ohno but to hell with it. “Fine. What is it?”

Ohno’s fingertip traced the swollen spot, the skin above the bones underneath. It stung a little, but only because the injury was fresh, his very sensitive skin still felt numb from the repeated blows. He could still see Ren’s face when he closed his eyes, and he would have felt bad about it if he didn’t know the bastard and his crew had been planning on doing the same to them in counter.

He did the right thing, killing them off first. He did it to protect himself, his friends, his family.

The same way he always had to.

“When you…left yesterday, I honestly thought I will never see you again,” Ohno murmured then, effectively tugging him out of his temporary mourning. “What made you decide to come back?”

Nino chuckled, shifted to rest his chin over the tub’s edge, eyes on Ohno’s face, the little smile playing across his pretty lips.

“Are you sure that’s a question, or are you just trying to fish for a compliment?” he asked, leaning into Ohno’s fingers caressing his jaw. He couldn’t ever say how these simple gestures made him feel so, so good, or how he honestly wondered sometimes what Ohno saw in him when he would catch Ohno looking. It was humbling as much as it was heartbreaking, to know and feel that there was someone here who made him feel like he could be so much more, so much better, happier and content just being around him.

“Both,” Ohno answered, and his honesty made Nino want to do the same thing, too. Not now, but maybe soon.

He grinned and looked away, only because he was afraid he wouldn’t be able to say the right things if he kept looking at Ohno.

“I didn’t mean it, you know,” he said, for starters. “Well, maybe I did at the time, but after I thought about it, I guess, not really. I mean, we both know there are certain things we still have to talk about, things we have to tell each other – things I have to tell you, but…but I’m not ready for that, yet. But I will be, soon. And when I said you shouldn’t come looking for me, I did mean that, but only because I don’t want you anywhere near the dirt I’ve surrounded myself with. You don’t deserve that, Oh-chan, okay? I don’t deserve you. I probably won’t ever deserve you, if I’m going to be honest about it, but it’s…I’m really finding it very hard to stay away from you,” he paused here to get his bearings, to breathe air back into his lungs as he raised his head and held Ohno’s gaze, gripping Ohno’s hand in his.

“I’ve done some things, terrible things that I know would make you hate me forever, but last night, when everything was over, when I could have run somewhere else, some place to think, to recuperate the way I should have, yours was the only place I could think of. I was battered all over, and I knew knocking on your door might mean bringing my shit to your doorstep, into your home in the process but I came anyway. Because you are my safe place, Oh-chan. You make me feel safe. The only place I will ever feel safe is whenever I am here, with you,” he breathed, leaned up to take Ohno’s face in his hands and looked Ohno in the eyes.

“You asked why I came back?” he murmured, pulling Ohno closer, his fingers on Ohno’s cheek. “There’s your answer.” He whispered as he surged forward to catch Ohno’s lips for a kiss.


	7. Chapter 7

It took Jun a moment to recover, ignoring Aiba’s quiet little chuckles in favor of staring pointedly at Sho. The gun in Sho’s hand looked familiar; Jun realized belatedly that it was because the gun was his.

“Put that away, Sho-san,” he muttered. Sho simply arched an eyebrow at him in answer, saying nothing or even moving from the spot to put the gun away. Jun sighed and shook his head, took his gaze back to Aiba and scowled.

“Forget it, Masaki,” he said, loud enough for Sho to hear, “We’re not involving him in this. He’s a goddamn cop, for crying out loud!”

Aiba shrugged. “He’s already involved, Matsujun,” he countered matter-of-factly, “You know that, he knows that, _hell_ , everyone who is aware about your relationship knows that. You’re kidding yourself if you think otherwise,” 

Jun groaned. He really didn’t need Aiba to point out the obvious while Sho was around, because he didn’t need Sho to compromise his job because of him, at least more than he already did to begin with. Sho had done so much for him already, his livelihood, for his friends; he wasn’t about to let Sho destroy his career and be the hero Jun didn’t exactly need.

“I’m not letting him go and fight this war for us, Masaki,” he muttered, belatedly realizing Sho had left the spot he’d been standing on for minutes on end until he felt Sho’s presence behind him on the couch, shivered when Sho’s hands migrated to his shoulders, the gun he was previously holding was missing.

“That’s not your decision to make, Matsumoto,” Sho murmured, into his ear, before Jun felt those familiarly soft lips against the side of his temple. The blatant display of affection would have pissed him off normally, but today, he just couldn’t find the heart to be annoyed.

That didn’t necessarily mean he’d let Sho win the argument. 

“Try me, Sho-san,” he dared, feeling mortified at the fact that they’re doing this in front of Aiba, who was most likely enjoying this stupid exchange more than he’d dared to admit.

Sho simply raised an eyebrow at him.

“Ease up, guys,” Aiba cut in a moment later, when Jun had this very strong urge to grab Sho’s arm and drag him back to the bedroom and put some sense into his head the only way he knew how. Thankfully, Aiba was there to stop him from further embarrassing himself in front of one of his oldest friends.

“Come on, we haven’t actually decided what to do yet, right? I mean, I did suggest we should do something about this, and that we should probably do it by getting back on these bastards for fucking around with us, but that doesn’t necessarily mean we have to declare an all out war against them, right?”

Jun threw Aiba a look, then shook his head in disbelief. “Masaki, I am pretty damn sure that was what you were suggesting. And I’m pretty fucking sure that’s what my boyfriend agreed into, right, Sho-san?”

Sho tilted his head in agreement; Aiba frowned, feigning innocence. Jun felt like kicking him in the balls for being so fucking annoying, and then kicked him out of the apartment for real. 

The idiot deserved it anyway.

“Hey, it’s not my fault you’re both bloodthirsty, okay? Surely, you two will agree with me if I say we can get back at them without resolving to violence. Exactly your thing, Matsujun, yes? I mean, it’s going to piss Nino off for sure, but he’ll live,”

Jun frowned, confused. “Masaki, what exactly are you suggesting here, because you’re seriously confusing the shit out of me. No violence? Weren’t you the one who said that talking to them will just be a waste of time, so, what exactly are you telling us here?”

Aiba chuckled and directed his gaze at Sho. “Matsujun, you have a cop for a boyfriend,” he said, meaningfully, before he was glancing back to Jun. “Please don’t tell me you haven’t considered using his job, and the authority he has to your advantage? Don’t joke now.”

Jun blinked, affronted and equal-parts amazed, before he found himself exchanging looks with Sho. Surely, Aiba wasn’t referring to _that._ It shouldn’t be as simple as _that_ , right?

“What?” he muttered, uncertain.

“What?” Sho asked at the same time, too, confused.

Aiba gave them a look. “Man, and here I thought you’re the brain of the group, Matsujun. Fine, fine, let me explain it…”

\---

Ohno wouldn’t ever know how Nino could make him feel like he was drowning underwater when Nino would kiss him like this, holding his face firmly in between Nino’s hands. He was the one who asked the question and yet when Nino answered, it felt as if his world had been flipped over.

 _You are my safe place, Oh-chan,_ Nino had said, like he meant it, and Ohno felt like a goddamn love-struck fool.

He pulled away to breathe, but not entirely because Nino was still holding him close, still breathing him in. The intimacy would have normally made Nino squirm but now, he didn’t seem to notice he was clinging to it, and Ohno loved every minute of it.

He smoothed a finger across Nino’s cheek and sidled closer, let Nino place another lingering kiss to his lips. “That’s a confession, alright?” he mused, loving the way Nino chuckled embarrassingly in return. 

“Or probably a rant disguised as one, I don’t really care. Just… you can’t take it back, okay? I won’t let you,”

Nino chuckled and ducked, resting his chin over his hand that was holding the edge of the tub. Ohno followed the movement, unable to let Nino go even for a second.

“It’s not,” Nino denied, but Ohno knew he was just trying to avoid a discussion, because Ohno felt like listening for more. “Well, at least I’m not going to confess to someone who obviously doesn't like me back,” Nino mused, meaningfully, and Ohno laughed, loudly, couldn’t not.

He was shaking still when he scooted forward to drop a kiss to the tip of Nino’s nose.

“You think I _don’t?_ ”

Nino shrugged. “How would I know?” he said.

“The sex isn’t enough proof?” he countered, helplessly entertained.

Nino bristled, obviously feigning annoyance. “It’s not even supposed to be presented as one, you dick,” Nino said, “What if you just like having sex, regardless if it’s with me or with other people? It’s not like -”

“I haven’t been sleeping with anyone but you for the past half year, Nino,” he cut in, quickly, prompting Nino to stop talking. “And I gave you a key to my place, even though I have no idea who you are or what you’re full name is even,”

The statement clearly caught Nino off-guard. “Is that a confession, Captain?” he whispered, and god, Ohno was smitten all over again. He surged forward to kiss Nino, held him close and didn’t let go.

“Yes,” he said, “Yes, Nino,”

Nino smiled. “It’s _Kazunari,_ ” Nino whispered, and to his answering frown, Nino reiterated. “My first name. It’s Kazunari.”

“Ninomiya Kazunari,” he tried it once, and smiled at the way Nino’s name rolled off his tongue. “It’s a mouthful, huh?”

Nino grinned. “That’s why I reduced it to just two syllables. Ni-no. Short and cute. Like me,”

He grinned at that. “You’re that and more, Ninomiya Kazunari,” he whispered, pulling Nino to him, kissing his face and his eyes, his mouth and doing it again. 

“You’re that and more.”

\--

He left Ohno in the kitchen, preparing dinner, while he stepped out of the balcony to call Jun back. The number of offline messages he’d received from the other man, not to mention missed calls, was worrying.

It didn’t even take two rings for the call to connect. Somehow, the fact only served to make Nino’s worries grow.

“J, what’s up?”

 _“Kazu, are you alright?_ ” asked Jun, the very same thing he would ask first whenever he talked to Nino on the phone. The gesture meant so much more than just a greeting, and Nino hoped to tell Jun he appreciated the gesture someday. 

“I’m okay,” he answered, ignoring the pain in his whole body. Apparently, he needed more than sex as some sort of work out, because when he used his strength for something else, the soreness that came after it was even worse than taking a dick in the ass several times in the day. 

Also, the stab wound he had on his shoulder was uncomfortable.

“Sorry I wasn’t able to take your call earlier,” he added, “I was...busy,”

“ _I guessed as much_ ,” Jun countered, “ _We tried to call the safe house too but the calls weren’t going through. Did you disconnect the lines again?”_

Nino bit his lips and hesitated only a moment before he answered Jun’s question. 

“I’m...not there,” he confessed, “Sorry I forgot to mention that,”

A pause, then the sound of Jun’s ragged breath from the other end of the line. 

_“What do you mean you’re not there?”_ Jun asked, “ _Kazu, is there something else you’re not telling us? I mean, you know that’s the safest place for you right now, especially after what you did to Ren, but you’re saying you’re not staying there? Where are you then? Tell me so we can come and take you,”_

Nino groaned quietly. Fuck, he shouldn’t have said that. The last thing he needed was to complicate things further than they should be, and that would obviously happen if he allowed Jun to know what he’d been doing in his free time.

_“Nino, talk to me. What the hell’s been going on with you?”_

Nino swallowed hard and hoped he didn’t sound as wary as he felt. “Nothing. And don’t worry about me, okay? I’m safe. I just figured it’d be safer if I don’t go there after what happened because we never know if someone from our ranks already knows about that place. I didn’t want to take my chances,”

Another beat, then, “ _Okay, that makes sense,”_

“I know,” he agreed, sighing. “Now, is there a reason you called me a million times from last night to earlier? It’s not because of Aiba, is it?”

Jun sighed heavily in return. _“Actually, it is,”_ he said, “ _He has a plan, and we want to talk to you about it,”_

He frowned. “When?”

_“As soon as possible. Tonight, if you can make it. Masaki will be here after eight. Said he’s bringing dinner,”_

He felt a headache coming, and he knew it was mostly because of the disappointment settling across the vicinity of his chest. He was already looking forward to a relaxing evening with Ohno, but obviously, that would have to wait too.

He sighed. “I’ll be there.”  
  
  
  



	8. Chapter 8

Ohno knew immediately something had happened when Nino walked into the kitchen, just as he was turning the stove off. There was something in the way Nino held his gaze for a long moment there as he stood in the doorway that made his breath hitch, his stomach tight with knots.

Nino looked...not exactly pissed, but maybe frustrated? Disappointed? He would have called Nino out on it if not for the way he was trying to calm himself down by breathing, opting on standing where he was despite the almost blinding urge to meet Nino halfway.

“Oh-chan, I...I have to go,” Nino said, slowly, dropping his gaze in that awfully familiar way that made Ohno realize why. The look and the gesture itself reminded him of the many times Nino did the same when he didn’t want Ohno to see him struggling with himself for wanting to stay with Ohno when his instincts told him not to.

“I...Something came up at home and I...I have to go there immediately. To check,” Nino added. 

Ohno gave himself a moment to look Nino over before he was sauntering forward to where Nino was, pulling Nino to him when he was close enough to do so. To his credit, he had expected Nino to wriggle away immediately, but he didn’t. In fact, he pushed closer when Ohno closed the tiny distance between them to press his lips to Nino’s temple, his brow, holding Nino to him.

“I’m not gonna ask why, but couldn’t you stay for at least a little while for dinner?” he murmured, hand worming around the back of Nino’s neck to keep him in place, kissing Nino’s eyes, his cheek, the tip of his nose. It was so difficult to let Nino go, not after what they both endured the day before, the night before, but he knew he had to.

He promised he would do everything to earn Nino’s trust, and he would. If he had to be patient, if he had to wait to get it, he would. Whatever it took. He swore he’d start from there.

“Please? Kazu, please?”

Nino said nothing but he did tilt his head and nuzzle Ohno’s jaw in return, and that, in itself, was answer enough.

\--

“I know you don’t like this idea,” he said as he put the remaining roll of bandages aside in favor of helping Jun put his shirt back on. It was one of those little things Jun wouldn’t normally indulge himself with, despite Sho’s (countless) insistence - he thought it was just appropriate to help Jun put his clothes back on since he was the one who relieved him off them in the first place - but this time he obviously didn’t have any choice. 

“But you know Aiba-san is right. You need my help, Jun, and this is me telling you that it’s okay, and that I’ll be happy to do it for you guys,” he said.

They’re expecting Aiba in about an hour, hopefully with Nino in tow, so they have pretty much half of that to discuss the preliminaries, or at least just enough time for him to convince Jun to agree.

It wouldn’t be easy, hell, he knew it wouldn’t be even though Jun had kept quiet when Aiba had explained his idea, even despite the fact that he’d agreed to discuss the matter with Nino too. To be honest, it wouldn’t matter either way; Jun would most probably do everything in his power to make sure they wouldn’t involve Sho in it, and that was what he was mostly worried about. 

Sho was hoping that by talking to Jun, he would be able to change Jun’s mind. But it would take more than just talking to convince Jun that he meant what he said.

For a moment there, Jun said nothing, but he was holding Sho’s gaze like he was trying to reconsider things in his head the only way he knew how. Sho couldn’t help but feel inexplicably fond of Jun at the moment, when he was most certain Jun was struggling to come to terms with the fact that he might have to agree to it anyway.

Then, Jun took his gaze elsewhere and shook his head. “It’s too risky, Sho-san,” Jun murmured, like he was trying to convince Sho more than he would himself. “I...I can’t let you do that, I mean -” 

“Again, Matsumoto, it is not your decision to make,” he countered, cutting Jun off. He shifted sideways so he was facing Jun fully, and then reaching over to put his hands on Jun’s hips to guide him where he wanted him. Jun sighed, feigning exasperation but complied anyway.

“You could say yes to this now or you could make things complicated,” he said, squeezing Jun’s hips. “But either way, we’re doing this. End of story,”

“We don’t know that yet,” Jun countered, “Nino had to agree on it too, otherwise, we’re scrapping this stupid plan whether you like it or not,”

He shrugged. “Convincing Nino is Aiba-chan’s job,” he said, “My job is to convince _ you, _ ” 

“And you think you could?” Jun mumbled, but his mouth twitched beautifully at the end of the syllable that made Sho feel warm in all the places that count. 

“Oh, absolutely,” he answered, shifting closer until they were almost nose to nose, close enough that he could almost count each of Jun’s unfairly gorgeous long eyelashes as he stared Jun over. “You will allow yourself to be convinced, Matsumoto, because you know Aiba-chan is right. And because you know this is the only way,”

Jun shook his head lightly. “We don’t know that,”

“Oh, but you do,” he said, lifting his hand and putting it on Jun’s cheek. “You do know this is the only way. You’re just afraid that agreeing to it would also mean you’re open to the possibilities that it’ll ruin my career in the end,”

Jun visibly paled at that, and Sho knew he had hit the nail on the head. He chuckled and sidled closer, close enough to press a soft kiss against the side of Jun’s mouth as he kept an arm around the small of Jun’s back.

“I love you,” he whispered, opting on saying what he felt instead of what Jun was expecting to hear. An explanation would have been better, yes, but Sho knew he would only make a mess of things if he tried. He knew where Jun was coming from, of course, of course, but there were things that they had to compromise on, for the sake of the relationship, and everyone for that matter. Things they would have to sacrifice, for the sake of each other.

And Sho was willing to give up everything just for Jun, even though he couldn’t just go and say it.

He pulled Jun to him, loving the way they fit. “And this is me telling you that whatever happens from here on, you’ll have me. I’m not going anywhere, Matsumoto, you can take my word for that.”

\---

“You should eat,” Jun pointed at Nino’s untouched hamburg steak - courtesy of Aiba - and rolled his eyes at Nino’s answering shriek. It was obvious the other man wasn’t paying attention to the food, or to any of them for that matter, and a part of him wondered why that was the case honestly. 

Nino looked visibly distracted - surprising as it was because Nino rarely was, especially when they meet like this - but tonight, it was evident in the way Nino would gaze at some spot on the table and would continue doing it with a thoughtful look on his face that something was distracting him from being there with them. Jun found it worrying, but knew Nino would simply brush him off if he called the older man out on it.

“I - What?” Nino asked, frowning.

Jun pointed at the food sitting in front of Nino. “I said, you should eat. Your food’s gone cold now, see?”

Nino gave the food a look and shrugged. “Didn’t I just say I wasn’t hungry?”

“Did you eat before coming here?” it was Aiba this time.

“Yeah,”

“Oh,” he and Aiba said in unison. “That’s surprising,” he added. 

Nino rolled his eyes and snorted. “And it wasn’t instant ramen or milk buns?” he asked.

“No, okay? I had...chahan for dinner,”

“Wow,” Aiba said, spilling sauce all over himself in his amazement. Jun chuckled and threw the box of tissues to him. “Are you saying you cooked that yourself? I thought you’re surviving on those conbini bentos just fine, Nino, I mean, that’s great! Good for you!”

Nino simply rolled his eyes at Aiba in answer. Jun chuckled and shook his head at his friends’ antics, aware at Sho’s presence next to him on the dinner table. A hand landed on his knee and he swallowed, knowing that it was his cue to start.

He cleared his throat. “So, about that thing Aiba-chan proposed,” he started, “I believe he already mentioned it to you?” he asked, settling his gaze back to Nino, then briefly to Aiba in question. Aiba nodded. 

“Sho-san insists he wants to help,” he added, “But I’m trying to talk him out of it. Obviously, it’s not working,”

Nino looked focused now, as he shifted his gaze towards Sho. “I think it’s a viable solution,” Nino said, “But it’s also very dangerous. Are you sure you’re up for it, Sho-san?”

Sho shrugged in answer. “I know the risks, of course, but I’m also convinced that doing this would also help us in the process. This means I’ll help you sort out your problem with the other, err, criminals, round them up and keep them out of your hair and you go back to handle this organized crime shit the way you always do. The less crooks we cops have to deal with, the better. I think that’s a pretty fucking good arrangement, if you ask me,”

The statement made the three of them smile, for some goddamn reason. Nino, too, was laughing, and Jun decided that was a good thing.

“I get what you’re saying, but the thing is, it’s not going to be easy,” Nino said after a moment, in all seriousness. “Helping us means you’ll have to be in contact with us most of the time since we would be giving you information regarding those fuckers’ whereabouts and such. Anyone with two working brain cells would notice right away that something is up. Are you sure you’re ready for that?”

A pause, a breath, and then the sight of Sho nodding firmly in answer had Jun letting out a deep breath in counter. 

“I could try and convince my Captain to help, but I’m afraid he won’t understand,” Sho said, turning to Jun as he said this. “I mean, I could, but I don’t want Ohno-san to -”

“Wait,” Nino said so suddenly, holding his hand out and effectively cutting Sho off. “Ohno _who_?”

  
  
  
  



End file.
